Warning: contains preview pages for Savage Avengers #28.
In 2019, Marvel Comics launched Savage Avengers, centered around Conan the Barbarian and this January, the title will come to end with issue 28, on sale in print and digital January 12. The cancellation comes on the heels of the acquisition of the Conan IP by Norwegian video game company Funcom and a restructuring of the Conan franchise.
A year prior to Savage Avengers debut, Marvel acquired the license to produce new comics based on Conan the Barbarian; Marvel previously held the license from the early 1970s through the mid 1990s. The rights then went to Dark Horse Comics before returning to Marvel. In Marvel’s previous Conan comics, the Cimmerian interacted with the rest of the Marvel Universe, meeting Spider-Man and Wolverine, among others. When the license returned to Marvel, the company once again inserted him into their universe; in the pages of Savage Avengers, Conan traveled to the present day and fought alongside Venom, Elektra, Doctor Strange and many others. He acquired a building that once belonged to the Hellfire Club and is currently aiding Doctor Strange in his battle against the evil sorcerer Kulan Gath. Conan and the Savage Avengers fight against Gath comes to an end this January in Savage Avengers #28.
A special preview provided to Newsarama provides readers with a first look at the final issue, along with two covers, shared below. Issue 27 is the final battle between Conan’s forces and Gath, and issue 28 will serve as a “coda” to the series. Marvel provided few plot details, other than it would feature a “good old-fashioned stabbing.”
Unfortunately, it is not known if Savage Avengers will return at a later date, if ever. This past September, Norwegian video game developer Funcom (who produced the Age of Conan game) purchased Conan Properties, the company owning the rights to the character. While it is unknown at this time what impact, if any, this will have on the character’s future at Marvel, it is worth noting that after Conan the Barbarian was canceled last month, only one Conan title is on the schedule, December’s King Conan. If Marvel does indeed lose the rights to the character, then it is likely Savage Avengers will not return. Part of Savage Avengers' appeal was watching Conan interact with his teammates. Conan’s presence provided an outsider’s perspective on the Marvel Universe, as well as genuinely interesting character moments.
Savage Avengers was one of the most unique Avengers titles on the stands, featuring Conan the Barbarian and a host of Marvel’s fiercest. However, the Cimmerian’s modern-day odyssey will come to an end this January, with Savage Avengers #28.
Source: Newsarama